Oven Baked Ras-el-Hanout Fries

I have a new obsession with the Moroccan spice blend: Ras-el-hanout. Ever since I had my first taste, I haven’t gone a day without adding a pinch of it to one meal or another without fail. I would honestly brush with it, if I didn’t think it was a waste to have to rinse it out in the end. Told you, obsessed!

If you haven’t heard of it, or tasted it, I highly recommend that you find a small bottle of it and get acquainted immediately!

In Arabic, Ras-el-hanout (pronounced raaz-el-ha-noot) means ‘head of the shop’ and is truly an incredible ingredient. Why? Because it’s a spice blend that is unique to each spice shop, as they each use the ‘top’ spices in their inventory, often more than a dozen different ones in varying ratios to create something special to their store. Amazing, right?

And it’s this spice blend that flavors these oven baked fries, along with garlic, paprika and turmeric. So few ingredients, yet along with the creaminess of Idaho® Russet potatoes, they create absolute magic!

The key to having oven-baked ‘fries’ taste like the real thing, besides the pre-soaking the Idaho® potato to remove starch, is to coat it in salt and oil before it goes in the oven. Yes, salt it – helps the skin dry out better in the heat, making for a crispier ‘fry’.

Make sure you bake in the lowest rack in the oven, flipping/tossing just once in the middle of baking for an all-round perfect fry that you did not actually deep-fry!

When you make this delicious Oven Baked Ras-el-hanout Fries (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!